Thursday, February 14, 2013

Thanks to WildAid

Houston, Texas (February 13, 2013) – This Thursday, February 14th,
former NBA Star and Chinese icon, Yao Ming, will be in Houston with
conservation organization, WildAid, visiting the Houston Zoo with local
school children to educate them about the importance of wildlife
conservation. Yao will be leading a group on a special tour beginning at
2 PM PST, to meet the elephants and other endangered species, as well
as previewing his upcoming documentary on the crisis for elephants and
rhinos.

Yao has led the world’s largest conservation awareness
program working with WildAid to educate the public in China on the
threats to wildlife, with the message, “when the buying stops, the
killing can too.” Yao, together with dozens of Chinese and international
celebrities, has helped reached hundreds of millions of Chinese
supported by hundreds of millions of dollars of donated media
placement.

WildAid’s shark campaign has been highly successful.
In July of 2012, the Chinese government announced it would remove shark
fin soup from the menus of government banquets over the next three
years. In January of 2013, The South China Morning Post reported that
the Hong Kong Shark Fin Trade Merchants Association chairman found, “The
whole industry has recorded a [sales] decrease of 50 per cent on last
year. [The decline] is mainly due to omnipresent advocacy by green
groups.” This decline is backed by data from the Hong Kong Census and
Statistics Department, which reports that shark fin imports have been
reduced from 10,292 tonnes in 2011 to 3,087 tonnes, last year.

The People’s Daily also reported a 70% decline in shark fin soup consumption at high-end hotels on February 1, 2013.

In
August 2012, Yao Ming took his first trip to Africa with WildAid,
seeing poached elephants and rhinos first hand. He also met villagers
whose livelihoods and education depend on income from wildlife tourism.

Yao
stated, “When people in China know what’s happening to these animals
they want to do the right thing. By not consuming shark fin, they have
literally saved the lives of millions of sharks. We went to Africa to
tell the story of the elephants and rhinos and we hope consumers will
react in the same way.”

Zoo Director, Rick Barongi said, “The
Houston Zoo is excited to team up with Yao Ming and WildAid in the fight
to save Africa’s critically endangered elephants and rhinos. By
inviting local school children to join Yao on a special tour to meet our
own elephant and rhino ambassadors, we hope to educate and inspire
young minds and hearts to help stop the senseless slaughter of these
incredible animals.”

WildAid Executive Director, Peter Knights
said “China is crucial to the survival of many species and we believe
with Yao’s leadership we can help create a sea change in attitudes
around wildlife and ensure the survival of sharks, elephants, and
rhinos.”

Yao’s visit to Houston is set around the 2013 NBA
All-Star game. WildAid launches a campaign with NBA Cares on March 3rd.
As well as supporting conservation, the Yao Ming Foundation also focuses
on helping educate children. Yao owns and manages the Shanghai Sharks
basketball team and has developed Yao Family Wines.

# # #

About WildAid:WildAid
is the only organization to focus on reducing the demand for wildlife
products with the strong and simple message: when the buying stops, the
killing can too. WildAid works with Asian and Western celebrities and
business leaders to dissuade people from purchasing wildlife products
via public service announcements and educational initiatives, reaching
up to one billion people per week in China alone. For more information,
please visit www.wildaid.org.

Footage and stills are available. Additionally, appearances are available for request.

About the Yao Ming Foundation:The
Yao Ming Foundation was established in June of 2008, by international
NBA Star Yao Ming, in response to the devastating 8.0 earthquake in
Sichuan Province, China on May 12, 2008. More than 8,000 schoolrooms
and 185 schools were destroyed during the earthquake. The Yao Ming
Foundation has committed to rebuilding five schools in the earthquake
region. The Yao Ming Foundation also supports additional educational
opportunities in the US and China.

Yao Ming is also currently the owner of the Shanghai Sharks, a professional basketball team in China.

In
November 2011, Yao Ming announced the establishment of his new Napa
Valley wine company: Yao Family Wines. The company released its
inaugural wine under the brand name Yao Ming®. Yao Family Wines
appointed Pernod Ricard (China) as its sole and exclusive importer and
distributor of the Yao Ming® wines in mainland China.

About the Houston Zoo:Founded
in 1922, the Houston Zoo is an exciting live animal adventure that
provides a unique educational and conservation resource serving more
than 1.9 million guests annually. Set in a 55-acre lush tropical
landscape, the Zoo is home to more than 6,000 exotic animals
representing more than 800 species. Operated by the not-for-profit
Houston Zoo, Inc., the Houston Zoo is dedicated to the conservation of
endangered species, the provision of engaging educational opportunities
and the creation of stimulating exhibits that broaden the experiences of
our guests and encourage their curiosity.

Editor’s Notes:

Fins
from up to 73 million sharks are used every year to make shark fin soup
and related food products. Shark finning is a cruel and wasteful
practice – captured at sea and hauled on deck, the sharks are often
still alive while their fins are sliced off. Because shark meat is not
considered as valuable as the fins, the maimed animals are tossed
overboard to drown or bleed to death. The International Union for
Conservation of Nature (ICUN) estimates that 1/3 of the world’s pelagic
shark species are threatened with extinction, with certain species
experiencing declines of over 90%.

Global trade bans enacted in
1989 (ivory ban) and 1993 (rhino sales bans) resulted in both rhino and
elephant populations increasing steadily until the dramatic resurgence
of poaching in 2008. According to a 2011 survey conducted by IFAW,
“Elephant poaching levels are the worst in a decade and recorded ivory
seizures are at their highest levels since 1989.” In South Africa alone,
two rhinos are being killed every day, as rhino populations have
declined 95% worldwide over the past 40
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